by Natalie Ann
Not in a physical way, but an emotional one. The feeling of being alive, he’d told her about.
“Condom?” she asked him.
He released his hands and reached over to the side of the bed and opened a drawer on the side table. She pushed his hands aside and grabbed the condom herself, tore it open and covered him.
“I like big strong men with a fast recovery,” she said, lifting her hips and impaling herself on him.
He wanted to ask how many big strong men she’d been with but didn’t. There was no reason to be jealous. He’d never been a jealous lover before and wouldn’t start now.
She must have been worked up as much as he’d been because she wasn’t taking it slow this time. She was bouncing up and down on him, her breasts jiggling and swaying and as much as he wanted to reach out and grab them, he was enjoying the sight way too much.
“Your eyes are telling me what you’re feeling,” she said, letting out a few breaths as she worked herself up.
“What’s that?”
“That you like watching me. That the sight of me riding you is turning you on.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It is.”
“You watching me...it’s turning me on too.”
“You sure it’s not me filling you up? Stretching you out. The heat of me wanting to send you over. You said you wanted to be fucked, but I think you’re the one fucking me.”
“Yes.” She started moving faster, her back arching, her muscles starting to squeeze him.
“I am. Just remember that,” she said as she let out a scream and crushed her mouth to his, her muscles constricting around him causing him to lift his hips up to meet and match her, feeling his body fall once more.
Under My Skin
“So what was this visit really about today?”
Rachel was cuddling into Jake’s side as they lay in his bed. “I told you.”
“Partially. The other was me guessing that you needed someone to talk to.”
She let out a sigh. “It’s nothing major.”
“Enough that it brought you here when it hadn’t before.”
“Is that a problem? Are you worried someone will see my car again and your parents will know?”
She was trying not to be hurt over that reason...if it was the reason.
“No problem. You wanted me to talk the other night, I want you to do the same thing.”
What would it hurt? He’d been upfront with her, so she should at least do the same with him. “I had to show a potential donor around today as a favor. I guess you could say though he was a nice enough guy he got under my skin.”
Jake sat up and looked at her. “What did he do? Anything inappropriate?”
“Inappropriate, yes. Shocking, no.”
“So tell me what then.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the look in his eyes. One of annoyance and maybe... a stance?
“He was an older man. Our father’s age, I’m sure. Flew in from Texas with all the Southern charm of a ladies’ man letting me know that, yes, everything is bigger and better in Texas.”
“So he hit on you?” Jake asked, relaxing now. Hmm, interesting that his stance was gone. “I get the feeling that happens a lot and you’re good at taking care of yourself.”
Hadn’t she said she didn’t like a guy that was jealous? Was she disappointed in his reaction or pleased? And why was she confused over that?
“I can take care of myself. It happens all the time. Many think that is how I get people to sign and it’s both annoying and frustrating.”
“I’m sure more frustrating because you think people don’t believe you’re good enough in your job to get someone any other way.”
Holy shit, he was the only one that got that about her. That deep down that pissed her off the most. That no one thought she was good enough. That she lucked into her job and couldn’t be successful if she didn’t flirt or look sexy. But she never looked sexy at work. Professional? Sure. Classy? Yes!
Sexy? Never.
“See, you do get me.”
“So what happened today?” he asked, his hand running up and down her back. Was he comforting her? Soothing her? Or just teasing her for some more playtime?
She wasn’t sure what she wanted more of.
Instead, she told him about Billie and the touches, the comments, the looks. She laughed when she did and he frowned...his stance back in place. Good Lord, this was tiring trying to figure out what was in his head.
“Do I need to have a talk with anyone?”
“Jake,” she said. “It happens. It’s not like he didn’t take no for an answer. Or that no one else has either. I’m good at putting people in their place but complimenting them at the same time.”
His hand dropped away and he propped himself up on his elbows. “Does it get on your nerves?”
“At times. Again, I’m used to it. It’s not as bad as it could be. In this day and age with sexual harassment, everyone is smart about what they say and do. Most of it is more like undertones rather than being blatant about it all. You know, the ‘me too’ movements.”
“That’s true. So you read between the lines and put them in their place?”
“Pretty much.”
“Have other men you’ve dated not liked that? Not liked what you are saying or what you deal with at work? Or haven’t you told them and you are telling me to see how I’ll react?”
Funny how he asked her that. “I’ve told other men I’ve dated. I’ve always been honest. Some men thought I was too flirty. Others thought because I spent so much time at my job and taking calls after hours that I was interested or liked being hit on.”
“Not you,” he said. “I don’t see you mixing work and pleasure. If any guy you’ve been with thinks that then they weren’t worth your time.”
She’d never thought so before either. “I never have liked it. Well, never until you.”
“But I’m not working there,” he argued.
“You aren’t, but it started with me approaching you for the job. And I said I’d pick your brain, but I haven’t yet.”
“And you want to?”
“I do have some questions. That was another thing that came up today. My boss wanted to know where I stood with the pilot position.”
Jake pushed the covers aside and went to stand up so she figured cuddle time was over. It was probably for the best and she reached for her clothes to get dressed too.
“Where does it stand?” he asked.
“Curious or interested?”
“Curious. You haven’t asked me anything so I guess I assumed you filled it.”
“I didn’t. I’ve reached out to a few people and no one bit. They want full time or part time with a set schedule. They don’t want to be on call more times than not.”
“So that is what the hospital is looking for?”
“I guess they’ve talked to the other pilots and said that they want someone to cover OT and vacation time. When there is one call out and another is needed. The full-time pilots want to know they have set days off, period. Not everyone likes to pad their pockets with OT.”
“How many choppers are there?”
“Two. But one pilot on at all times. Another one is always on call. Patients wait or ambulances are sent out if both are out at once. There is a lot of scrambling to be done in those situations.”
When the two of them were dressed they moved back to the living room. “If you want someone to be flexible like that you need to pay for it or wait until you find the right person.”
“I said as much to my boss. That by the time it was said and done, you could be paying that part-time person almost full-time costs because you are requiring the flexibility.”
“You think I’m the right person, don’t you?” he asked, walking to the kitchen and pulling out a beer. She moved past him and grabbed a bottle of water.
“You could be if you wanted it. But you told me you needed until the end of the year to decide.”
“My
book is done,” he said.
“Really? I thought you said you had writer’s block.”
“Yes and no. It’s done, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. If it needs more or if I missed something.”
“What’s your next step if it is done?” she asked.
“I’ve got an editor lined up and plan on sending it to him in three days. So I’ve got three days to decide if it needs more. I expect the editor to let me know of any holes, I guess.”
“And once the editor sends it back?” she asked.
“I’ve got an agent I’ve been talking to. I sent a query letter. He’s interested and will be sending the final manuscript on to publishers. I’m waiting to see if anyone is interested in the story. I’ll go from there.”
“Sounds like you’ve done all your homework. Then what?” She wasn’t surprised in the least he had a game plan.
“Then I wait and while I wait I start another book. If I can’t get it published traditionally, there is always the Indie route.”
“The Indie route?”
“Independent publishing. I’ll publish it myself, do my own promos and so on. A lot of work and if I do that, I’d like to have another book ready to push out shortly after. It comes down to the fact I wrote my book and now I need to figure out the rest while I wait.”
She smiled, knowing he gave her to the end of the year, just a few weeks away and yet he was telling her he’d met his goal. “Any closer to deciding on where you’ll be?”
He laughed and pulled her closer to him on the couch they were sitting on now. “Not as much as you’d like, but know that I will give you an answer in a few weeks.”
“Then I guess the best I can do is hope it’s the answer I want. Until then, how about we order some dinner? I’m starving.”
She watched as he picked up his phone to check the time. “Pizza?” he asked.
“That works. You looked like you hesitated over dinner? Let me guess, you’d prefer no one knows I’m here this long?”
“I’ll get asked questions.”
“And that’s a problem?” So much for any hope about the future if he was worrying about what people thought of her being here.
“My parents knew you were here before about the job. They’ll be home soon and if they see your car, they’ll think you are again.”
“And you’d rather not explain anything to them. That it is job related...or something else?”
“I don’t have a problem with it. Do you? I don’t know what we’ve got and I can’t promise you anything.”
There was hurt mixed in with excitement. He wasn’t bothered with telling his family about her, but wasn’t committing to more either. She’d told herself to not expect much commitment and yet found herself doing that anyway. If she got hurt or was bothered she had no one to blame but herself.
“I understand. I’ll take what I can get for now.” It had to be enough.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s the best I can do.”
Something More
“So you had company today?” his mother asked an hour after Rachel left. Jake was surprised his mother waited as long as she had to come up and see him.
“I did. Is that a problem?”
“Of course not. Your father said it was Rachel Chapman’s car. That she visited with you about a job a month ago.”
“It is and she did.”
“She stayed a lot longer than what I’d think a job offer or conversation for one would entail.”
There was no use lying to his parents, especially since he’d been coming home late on several nights. He always came home and now that it was out in the open, maybe he could stay the night with Rachel. He’d never been one that had to do that with a woman. That even wanted to but realized everything he had with Rachel was different than something he’d had before.
“It is more than that. The job offer is still there though.”
“Are you considering it?” his mother asked, some hope in her eyes. He was shocked that was being questioned over the “something more” part with Rachel.
“I told her I’d give her an answer at the end of the year. I’ve got a few weeks and I’ll just have time on my hands while I wait to hear about my book. While I write another.”
His mother smiled. “So things are going good there?”
“They are.” He told her what he’d told Rachel. His parents hadn’t asked a lot of questions and he took it as they were just giving him the space he needed. Silent support he’d always appreciated and was lucky to get.
“That’s wonderful, Jake. We are so proud of you.”
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Yes, you have. You’ve always been one to set goals and make them happen. This is no different. Trust me, you’ll be successful in whatever you do because you know no other way.”
It was nice to hear those words from his mother when lately he felt like he’d failed the person closest to him. The nightmares of Rob were still there. The visions he wanted to wipe from his brain just weren’t happening and he had to find a way to live with it.
Did he think he was the washed up PI in his book looking for redemption? Maybe deep down part of him felt that way.
“I hope you’re right with this too.”
“I usually am. So back to Rachel. Is it serious?”
He laughed. He should have figured she wouldn’t let it drop. “I don’t know what it is, but serious isn’t the word either of us would put on it.”
“Are you going to spend the holidays with her at least?”
“It hasn’t come up. She’s got her family and I’ve got mine. I’m home for mine, I came back for that reason.”
It was easier to say it now. To acknowledge that to get his life back on track, he had to be around family for the time of year that he’d always looked forward to so much as a kid.
“And there is always room for more,” his mother said.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Speaking of thinking about things. Grey mentioned he saw Rob’s father the other day. That Jonathan stopped into the law office for something.”
“He mentioned it to me. Said Jonathan asked about me.”
“Are you going to go see him and Heather?”
“I don’t know. Not sure it’s the right time. The first holiday and all.”
“Or the best time,” his mother said. The same as Grey said. Damn his family.
“I’ll think about it.”
***
“So what is going on with you?”
Rachel turned to look at her mother. They were walking side by side in the mall. She’d taken a few hours off to finish up some much-needed Christmas shopping even though there were a few weeks to go. She’d forgotten she’d mentioned it to her mother last week, who decided to tag along with her.
“Nothing. Why do you ask that?”
“We haven’t talked much and normally we do. Have you been busy with work? I thought this was your slower time of year.”
“It is. Work is fine. Between the holidays and end of the fiscal year, the hospital isn’t posting as many positions. At least the ones I’ve got to worry about. I’ve been working on other projects.”
“So then you’re seeing someone,” her mother said.
She swore there was no privacy in her family at all. “What makes you ask that?”
Her mother laughed. “Reed drove by your house the other night and said there was an SUV in the driveway. He didn’t want to stop but called and asked if I knew who it was.”
She sighed. Had to have been Friday or Saturday night since those were the only times Jake was at her house. He hadn’t spent the night yet, but after the talk a few days ago when she’d stopped over after work and spent the day there, she was hoping he’d stay this Friday night.
He’d told her his parents questioned him about her being there and that he was honest and said it was job related and more. She liked that he’d put it out there for them but still didn’t know exactly wha
t it meant.
She supposed the least she could do was share it with her own family. Seemed like she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter now.
“I am seeing someone. I have been for a few weeks.”
“Is it Jake Baxter?”
“It is.”
“What’s it like dating your high school crush?”
She laughed at her mother’s comment. That wasn’t something she’d expect her mother to ask, but rather one of her girlfriends. The truth was, she hadn’t even told her girlfriends she was dating Jake.
“I think he was most girls’ crush back then. I don’t know if it was something that I was pining for.”
“Okay, I’ll buy that. You still didn’t answer me though.”
“It’s nice, I guess. He’s not what I thought he’d be like. I told you and Taylor that. He’s funny, he’s cocky, he’s considerate. But he’s always serious and motivated. Determined is a better word.”
“Then he is a lot like you.”
Those words had been used to describe her a lot in life. Especially the motivated and determined ones. She was always out to prove she had what it took at whatever she set her mind to. Maybe that was why other people thought negatively toward her wanting to succeed in her job and doing anything to make that happen.
“I guess you could say that.”
“Did you plan on bringing him to dinner for the holidays?” her mother asked, surprising her with that question.
“I doubt it. We aren’t anywhere near that stage.”
“What stage are you at? Just a physical one?”
“I’m not talking about my sex life with my mother.”
Hello mortification. She drew the line at sharing that kind of information regardless of how close she and her mother were.
“I don’t want those details. I guess the better question is, are you okay with not planning too much ahead with him? You’ve always been the planner. Always been the one that wouldn’t get involved with someone unless you thought there was some chance at a future.”
“I’m trying to be okay with this.”
“How is that working out for you?”
“It has its ups and downs,” she admitted.
